History of The 6th Regiment of Infantry
The history of the 6th U.S. Infantry is a story of the United States and her ambition. The 6th Regiment of Infantry was officially formed on January 11th, 1812 but was met with an onslaught by the 22, 23, 25th regiments of infantry once the conflict was over and where the regiment earned its motto, "Regulars, By God!". This was earned at the battle of Chippawa when the British General Riall saw a new brigade advancing at their center. Seeing that the regiments were wearing militia grey uniforms, he commanded his artillery to concentrate there believing that the militia would break and run. When the regiment continued forward, braving the shot and shell with Col. Zachary Taylor in front of them spurring them on, the British General shouted, "Those are Regulars, By God!", and they met the British bayonet to bayonet and earning much glory for themselves.
During the Civil War the regiment went back east to fight along with its fellow Regulars in Syke's Regulars' Brigade and fought from 1862 until after the Gettysburg Campaign in 1863 when the regiment was sent north to New York Harbor due to severe combat loses. The regiment fought well at Gettysburg where it it held the southern most part of the line in a wheat field where it was exposed to enemy fire for many hours sustaining many losses. This sacrifice would allow the rest of the Army of the Potomac a secure and clear route to make it up to the heights and form the famous fish hook line. The next day the regiment and the rest of the regular brigade was ordered to move to the hills in front of the round tops where the regiment would stay until ordered to retire behind the round tops during the assaults that went on there. The regiment would not obtain its full complement of men until after the war when it went on occupation duty in the Carolina's where they were again loved by the civilian population and the military in which they belonged with their band receiving special praise for the many concerts it put on. In 1869 the regiment would return west with companies manning posts at Fort Larned, Kansas and Fort Dodge. The regiment went on to fight in WWI, WWII and Korea and every other conflict this nation has ever been in.
When the Mexican war started, the regiment was there with members such as Lt. Armastead to storm the ramparts in countless battles until the regiment was sent back to the frontier for more Indian wars duty where the regiment built some of the first forts west of the Missouri River. This march west eventually landed Company C, and later Co. G, at Fort Laramie, Nebraska Territory (later the state of Wyoming), where it stayed until 1858 when the entire regiment moved to California. During its time in the territory, the regiment was kept busy building and maintaining forts, protecting the wagon trails, and at time finding Indian war parties. Historical records show that the Sixth was as adept at fighting as it was as diplomacy and ended up being well respected by white settlers from the East and the Indian tribes of the West, and often had to mediate problems that arose between them
Today the Sixth still lives both as in the Regular Army with one battalion in South Korea with their headquarters at Fort Bliss Texas. The Regiment has known several famous individuals such as Zachary Taylor, future president of the United States, Norman Schwarzkopf and future Confederate General Lewis Armistead.
Mottos earned by the 6th:
"Regulars, By God!"
"The Silent Regiment"
"Regulars"
"Unity is Strength"